Now that Delaware County Democrats finally saw their wish granted - a Congressional district all their own - you'd think they'd be ready licking their chops for the November general election.
They are.
Except for one thing.
They have to get through the primary first.
And that is not going to be an easy task.
There are no less than 15 Democrats who would like to be the party's standard bearer in the newly created 5th District.
Those include two state reps, Havertown's Greg Vitali, D-166, and Upper Darby's Margo Davidson, D-164. Then there is Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland. And a slew of others.
But the real intrigue in this race likely will come from Rich Lazer, a former aide to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.
How ironic would it be that after waiting all these years to see the entire county included in one congressional district - where they have a decided voter registration edge - the Delco Dems could find themselves so splintered that it opens the door for Lazer to post an upset win in the primary?
On the Republican side, they seem to have unified behind Pearl Kim of Radnor, a former county assistant district attorney and former senior deputy state attorney general.
The smart money was on Republicans picking a woman in the wake of the #Metoo revolution and the fact that incumbent U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, decided not to seek re-election after it was revealed he used taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment complaint filed by a former staffer.
The 7th District, which used to cover the bulk of Delaware County, and the 1st, which included Chester City and a sliver of the towns along the Delaware River, are going by the boards, replaced by the 5th District.
But I am told that Sunday's Republican endorsement meeting was not exactly without some contention.
I've had some Republicans tell me they fear the party leaders and national GOP have basically written off the 5th District as unwinnable in the wake of the new map put in place by the state Supreme Court.
They are not happy about the way the endorsement process went down.
An early frontrunner, Clare Putnam Pozos, a former assistant U.S. attorney, actually withdrew from consideration after speaking with party Chairman Andy Reilly before the endorsement meeting.
It will be interesting to see how much national support - and money - Kim gets in her bid to keep the seat in Republican hands.
Comments